CORE A: ADMINISTRATIVE CORE Abstract The key functions of the Administrative Core (AC) are to maximize the local, statewide and national impact of initiatives developed and implemented by the Michigan ADCC, enhance collaborations with the NACC and outside investigators, and provide sound oversight for fiscal and personnel matters within the ADCC. Over the past four years, the AC?s leadership has successfully developed an effective ADC-like infrastructure and established partnerships across the three universities comprising the ADCC (University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University). This extensive preliminary organization ensures that the Michigan ADCC will be exceptionally well-positioned, when funded, to achieve its overall research, training and outreach objectives and become a premier resource for dementia-related academic activities in a region of the country currently lacking an NIA-supported AD Center (ADC). Continued strong guidance from the AC will ensure that the activities of the five other Cores maintain synergy and connection to the Michigan ADCC?s central theme: To identify, understand and modulate the non-??amyloid factors contributing to brain dysfunction and degeneration in AD and related dementias. To accomplish this, the AC proposes five Specific Aims: 1) leverage expert dementia resources and skills focused in each Core; 2) maintain cohesive interplay across the cores; 3) build and sustain local and regional partnerships; 4) build and sustain national partnerships; and 5) foster new research and training opportunities across the three participating universities. To realize these Aims, the AC will provide a well-communicated strategic plan and sound administrative guidance in budgetary and personnel issues in order to guarantee cohesion and productivity across all Cores. The AC also will receive counsel from three advisory committees (the Internal and External Advisory Boards and a Community Advisory Board), will interact closely with local Alzheimer?s Association chapters and related disease advocacy groups to enhance participant recruitment and outreach efforts, and will coordinate activities across the three participating universities. Finally, the AC will coordinate Michigan ADCC activities closely with the NIA and the NACC and will oversee interactions with investigators in other ADCs and investigators outside the ADC network to develop new research partnerships. Benefitting from 1) strong institutional support from all three participating universities, 2) recent philanthropic success that will enable the AC to leverage private funds for ADCC activities, 3) closely coordinated interactions with the UM Claude Pepper and UM/WSU Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research, and 4) shared administrative leadership with UM?s new Protein Folding Diseases Initiative and the Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson?s Disease Research, the AC is well-positioned to implement all the activities of the Michigan ADCC. Given the outstanding resources, existing dementia research base, and talented personnel present at the three campuses, the new Michigan ADCC will greatly enrich innovative research, outreach and training across the region and nationally.